Where was your first ever Park Run & how did it go (time/experience etc)?

[laj1987]

I'm doing my first ever Park Run tomorrow and I'm curious how it went for everyone else....

[BettyJane Graduate]

My first Parkrun at W8R1 and managed a time of 30.40. I was quite nervous, but found everyone very friendly, and enjoyed running with loads of other people around. I'll be attending my 3rd Parkrun tomorrow.

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to BettyJane]

If you are at Bromley I will see you there as I am volunteering. I am in 'numbers' not sure what that is but sounds like giving out the number tokens at the funnel. Say hi!

[BettyJane Graduate in reply to AliB1]

I'll be wearing my blue C25K t-shirt

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to BettyJane]

Will look out for you

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to AliB1]

Was good to meet you Betty!

[Deryn61 Graduate in reply to AliB1]

Big like!

[BettyJane Graduate in reply to AliB1]

Good to see you too.

[laj1987 Graduate in reply to BettyJane]

It's really nice to see people meeting up & making friends through C25K.

[wilmacgh Graduate]

Started in April when I was on about wk6. Everyone was very friendly. Worth remembering it's more of a personal challenge than a race. Just go at your own pace especially at the start. Enjoy it!

[laj1987 Graduate in reply to wilmacgh]

It definitely was a personal challenge and even if I had tried I don't think I could have gone at some of the faster peoples pace lol!!

[KANdoit]

Did my first Parkrun in Bushy Park in March 2012 .... before I'd even heard of C25K !!! but after a year of taking my dog on daily walks of 4 to 5k. I knew I could cover 5k in about 70 min thanks to runkeeper on my android phone. My time was 53:30 and I was last but one (out of over 700). I was dead chuffed with my time. I've gone on to do a total of 15 with a PB of just under 42 min (currently running at 50 min). Keep on dropping out of C25k at week 6 due to a dodgy calf ... but am keeping up the parkruns. Currently using a run 90s walk 60s interval to get me round in about 50 min.

I LOVE parkrun

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to KANdoit]

Thats why I love park run it's for everyone!

Had Arab time this morning volunteering at one my local ones! So much fun

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to AliB1]

*fab time

[Deryn61 Graduate in reply to AliB1]

Made me chuckle then x

[laj1987 Graduate in reply to Deryn61]

Intervals are obviously helping you speed up and improve. Hopefully your calf will improve soon

[TJFlute]

I did mine in June, which was well over a year from graduating. (It wasn't really known or written about on the old site) I ran at Eastbourne which unfortunately is my closest one but still a half hour drive. I did it in 28 minutes and was 48th out of 66. I was so nervous the night before that I had a really bad dream. I haven't done one since, partly because of the timing(I have commitments with my children on Saturday mornings) partly because of the distance to travel, and mostly because I did a couple of races, and have been off injured for a while.

Looking forward to reading your blog about your first one hopefully later today!

[laj1987 Graduate in reply to TJFlute]

That is a long way to travel for a park run but your result was great. It's nice to see that I'm not the only one who was nervous!!

[Oldgirl Graduate]

This is my history of Aberdeen Parkrun, as you can see I don't run every week more like once a month as it is rather flat, straight and boring. The speed runners love it especially if there is no wind as they get fast times. Its in reverse order, Date, then week #, position, time, age grade. The thing I'm most proud of is the last 5 runs I've got new PB's. You can get this info off each Parkrun's Result by clicking on your name, you then get all your history.

22/09/2012

51

77 31:39 62.19% PB

01/09/2012

48

65 31:42 61.20% PB

18/08/2012

46

84 32:08 60.37% PB

14/07/2012

41

82 32:28 59.75% PB

30/06/2012

39

71 33:24 58.08% PB

09/06/2012

36

71 34:48 55.75%

26/05/2012

34

95 34:42 55.91%

I seriously think Parkrun is the next best thing for new runners after C25K of course

[Oldgirl Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

Looks as if I'm trying to out do the spammer with my long blog

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

Ha ha ha

[Deryn61 Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

Well done, they need competition those dam "spanners" (as my nephew calls them)

[BettyJane Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

Good results, consistent improvement.

[laj1987 Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

Wow! You truly are inspiring and those PB's just keep on coming

[AliB1 Graduate]

I did my first park run on 12 May and did it in 36.51. So far have done 7 and hope to try and do 1 or 2 a month....life does get in the way sometimes.

my best time was at Bromley when I did it in 34.01 and at Orpington which is now my local one I have done 35.52 (it has hills!)

Today was a first and I volunteered.....LOVED it.. So much fun

[Oldgirl Graduate in reply to AliB1]

I agree Ali you get such a lot out of volunteering its well worth doing. I like to go down with my good camera too and take pics, have put loads on our site. I was asked one week how much I charge for them!?!

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

A new job opportunity!

[laj1987 Graduate in reply to AliB1]

I agree, I couldn't commit to one a week but I think doing it every few weeks gives you opportunity to try to improve your time.

The volunteers are amazing! At the park run I was at they clapped as you went past - made me feel all athletic lol!

[Oldgirl Graduate in reply to laj1987]

Haha the clapping gets really sore and painful on your cold hands I can tell you I've discovered I'm better leaving my rings off my fingers I ended up with bruises one week!

[Deryn61 Graduate]

I did my first Parkun in Cardiff a few weeks after graduating, in March.

I was SO NERVOUS! My big sis took me for a warm up jog and I could hardly breathe!

Then a lady my sister knew very slightly but who I had never met before (from a running club in Bridgend) came over just before the start and gave me a hug and wished me well on my first parkrun, which was lovely.

I made the mistake of starting in the middle of the pack and HATED being overtaken by dozens of other runners in the first few hundred yards!

But then I relaxed, and just try to enjoy. I suddenly realised how amazing my humble efforts were, chosing to run 5k round Bute Park when less than 4 months before I struggled to run 100 yards to catch my train to work!

I did it in 38 mins - was chuffed as I was taking 42 mins to do 5k on my own at that point. I have only managed to fit in two since (at a new small parkrun in Park Bryn Bach near Tredegar) and got down to 36 mins at the last one.

I also volunteered once and that was really good fun.

I did (do) intend to do more but both are a good 40 mins drive away and I have a lot of other stuff I do on a Saturday. You have inspired me to commit to do next weeks now x

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to Deryn61]

I am so lucky...my home run (now) is only 5 mins up the road and Bromley is only 15 mins away. There are lots of others too all relatively close but as they are hilly can't see me going any time soon!

[laj1987 Graduate in reply to Deryn61]

Another warm up jog?? What happened to warm up walks! Ha-Ha!

It is demoralising being overtaken but your point 'I suddenly realised how amazing my humble efforts were, *chosing* to run 5k round Bute Park when less than 4 months before I struggled to run 100 yards to catch my train to work!' is a timely reminder of how far we have come

Hope you have fun at next weeks PR, let me know how you get on

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to laj1987]

we are all doing so much more than the majority of the population...a fact i recently heard was that only 4% of the population can run a mile non stop....we are in that 4% Go us!

[laj1987 Graduate in reply to AliB1]

Wow! I didn't know that, for once it's nice to be in the minority

[caro8642]

Had hoped to do my first Park run a couple of weeks ago, but with a dodgy knee not made it yet. Am away fo rthe next two weeks, but am setting my sights on the 2nd Saturday in November, to go and do my first one. Will be going to Tilgate Park, Crawley. Anyone else done/doing this one??